Pat's Desert Music

I saw they had a great deal on guitars so read some reviews online and went over to check it out. Their prices really are great. 20% lower then Guitar Center. Their selection less so, but good enough. They had a lot of Squires, Only one Telecaster which was a 60's commerative edition or something. One Fat Strat, one reg Strat, and no Jaguars. There seemed about 10 different Ibanez models too and a some models from other brands I didn't look much at. Basically You'll likely find a guitar you like but won't have a choice in color and after reading the other reviews I wouldn't trust them with ordering one.\r \r The guy working there (Frank) was good. Knowegable and friendly but not pushy and let me alone while I put the guitars through their paces. No hard sell. No up sell. And he didn't try to load me up with a lot of accessories or extended warrenties like I expected. Also if you buy a guitar Frank will do a free quick setup for you. I really expected them to sell the guitar for cheap then say you had to do a $65 setup.\r \r This place was Empty though. I was there a couple hours and only one other customer came in to buy drumsticks. Considering the great price I got if they're still around in a couple years I'll assume it's a drug front or something..\r \r If you want to buy local in a relaxed unpretentious environment (my doodling was no doubt aweful but Frank could care less and no one else was there) this is a great price. Also you'll Save Money here no joke. Just be flexible on color.\r \r p.s. They have drums, basses and lessons too but I was there for a guitar so that's what I reviewed. more

I ordered 2 items thru Pat's Desert Music late last summer. Frank gives a variety of reasons/excuses why items have not arrived and why he can't refund my money(almost $150). They do not respond to Better Business Bureau, hence the ""F"" rating with them. The powers that be, for whatever reason, appear to take no action. If you don't walk out of the store with EXACTLY what you want, just wave goodbye to your money because you'll never see it again. And you'll never see you're merchandise either. more

Went to all the superstores just wanting to get a break on a new les paul to cover taxes. Pat's gave me that break. Had to order from gibson and gave half down. Guitar came in two weeks later just like he said. Will probably buy my next guitar from them if I ever save enough for it. more

Just wanted to back everyone up. We dropped off a warranty repair that they said would be done within 1 month. It has been 7 months now and they are doing nothing but giving the run around. We tried to support our local music store and they made me regret it. As a professional musician buying professional grade equiment we need professional service. more

We have had the same experience--we ordered, and paid in full for, a metronome almost one month ago. We have gotten many stories about why it hasn't arrived yet. We have no product and no money. Vague promises about a possible refund, or store credit. I said, this is not a refund, we never got a product. Argh. The clerk seems decent enough, but I suspect he's the fall guy for a shady owner--how the clerk deals with this over time I have no idea, how stressful would that be? We went to this store in order to support a local business--we now have serious regrets. Indeed, be warned about this business. I suspect they have cash flow problems and treat these prepaid special orders as a permanent loan. more

Pretty much what all the other ppl with bad experiences have said. If you special order something, they will lie until they are blue in the face. But do it all with a smile. Even when you know they are lying. Will not let you talk to the owner, will not accept certified mail demand letters in the event you want to sue them, will NOT GET YOU YOUR MERCHANDISE if it is not in stock. Even had one of their employees tell me straight to my face ""I'm not responsible for what so and so said"" GEORGE, SANDRA, whomever - ALL A PACK OF LIARS I am shocked in today's internet world where ppl can get reviews on places from fellow consumers instantly that this place is still in business. By the way, ""treated as a valued customer"" is anything but the way I was treated there. If I could give ZERO stars I would. BE WARNED. more

I read several reviews about orders. I made one special order with 50% down. After 3 weeks it had not arrived, but Frank gave me an outstanding deal on an amp far superior to what I had ordered.\r If you are looking for the ""Huge Superstore"" where you are just another number, then that's where you should go. If you want a family business where you are treated as a valued customer and you are greeted by name, after one visit, Pat's is where you should go.\r I have purchased 3 guitars and 2 amps, plus various accessories, from Pat's and I couldn't be more pleased with their service and prices.\r When I first started guitar Pat & Frank took the time to answer all my questions and this was before I made any purchases from them. \r I have been a southern Nevada resident for 28 years and Pat's reminds me of the Mom & Pop stores that I grew up with in Wyoming.\r If you want a quality product at a fair and competetive price, check out the Superstores, then come and see Frank or Pat. more

After prepaying for an item and waiting 4 months, still no item. Every week I called or went by. It was always ""it will be here next week."" Four conflicting stories as to why it did not show up. Frank refused to give a refund, stating he needed Pat's permission. Told me he could not get hold of Pat. Numerous messages for Pat. No return calls. Then the last visit to the store, Frank again said he could not get hold of Pat. 5 minutes later I reluctantly agreed to accept store credit for another item, fearing I would never get my money back, and Frank called Pat to get permission. I guess Frank could get hold of Pat. During this fiasco, which could have been easily resolved, Frank lied to me numerous times, with a smile, and Pat lied to me during the one time I caught him in the store. Don't prepay these guys for anything. Check out their BBB rating, solid ""F."" Cons: They lie. more

They will smile shuffle phone calls, be as sweet as pumpkin pie. But I've been waiting almost 2yrs. for my amp or cash. Never ever sell through them. Even my lawyer was horrified over what how difficult $500 is to get from them. Amazing yet true. Pros: Excellent Glad Handing Cons: Poor business people more

Hey guys Pat's is an awesome store, Pat, Frank and the rest of the crew all have awesome attitudes, they care about your needs as a musician, and are arguably the most competitive store in Las Vegas. They are still in need of a few shelf items, but none the less they rock. Frank has the know how that puts their town square competitors to shame. Their stock is always being updated, and their Henderson store is always packed. I've had several guitars set up, and gig ready in a day or so, and am always thoroughly impressed with their operations. I have special ordered a handful of things, and have only had a serious wait once. My guess is that their dealing with a relatively small distributor in order to keep prices competitive. I'm a loyal Pat's Desert Music customer, but loyalty doesn't mean you can't shop online from time to time. Seriously, I'll order something on my own if they don't have it in stock. Pros: Outstanding Customer Service more

I almost hate to write this because I love Pat's for walk-in and off-the-shelf shopping BUT, their special ordering system is broke (nicest thing I can say about it). I should've taken heed of the negative reviews on special ordering here (as it's clearly a trend but I've always had good luck there so we tried it).....boy that was a mistake. In a nutshell, we ordered an item that's readily available for immediate shipping on a number of internet sites. Pat's happily took 1/2 in deposit, then promised 3-4 day arrival. Long story short it took a number of phone calls (none of which were returned), 2 store visits to inquire/threaten to get our money back, 3 missed ""promise"" dates, and a final ultimatum on our part (3 weeks later) before the item arrived. When it did arrive the box it was in looked like it'd been drug up from L.A., then taken through a car wash for good measure. To our amazement the instrument ended up being fine. Based on others' comments on here, and my recent experience, Pat's obviously has a serious long-term problem with how they handle special orders. If they have it in stock in one of their stores, fine. If they'll get one in for you (no down payment) and you're not in a hurry, fine, but I would never special order anything from them again, ever. Again, this situation is unfortunate as we really like them on a normal walk-in basis. Consider yourself warned about special ordering though. Pros: None in regard to Special Ordering Cons: They take your money and slow-roll you more

I am a Retired studio bassest (64 years young) I am now following a dream to return to the music business full time. This task is now a lot easier with the help of “Pat's Desert Music” as they are a full service music store, with a friendly, knowageable, and helpfull staff. I ordered a new Bass from them and as it was a back ordered for a period of time, George (manager} offered to loan me an instrument (unheard of) if I needed one. When the bass arrived it needed a bit of djustment. The job done by Larry was first rate and done while I waited. No one could go wrong by using “Pat's Desert Music” for all their music needs. Keep up the good work guys. Pros: excelent staff and service more

Where do I start with these guys... I'm a beginner and these folks took so much time answering questions (over multiple visits) it was unreal. Unlike going to a ""chain"" music store where it's a car dealership attitude & feel, the folks at Pat's are always patient, courteous, and willing to just chat with you. The personalized touch is well appreciated and hard to find these days. And as for service, how can it get any better? George called his vendor for me, called the other store 3x for me, and when I found the specific bass I wanted but was unsure of the color, he had a different color one brought over from the Henderson store (within 2 hours), and called to tell me it was there/come check it out. Also, how many places Google search what you're buying RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU so you can see they're giving you a great deal? Buying from Pat's is a complete no-brainer in my book. Pros: Will do anything to help you & the price guarantee more

I dropped off my Yamaha SLG 100N at this place You know the "" Silent Guitar "" with just the frame ? You listen through headphones. I really like it. It's a very cool guitar! I just needed the action to be lowered a bit. I thought it would be a good idea to take it to an expert. It has no truss rod. The only adjustment would be to shave down the saddle a bit, I think ! So I took it to this place for some expert attention. The guy at the store looked at it and said"" Hmmm, I think I should send this to my uncle. He is a very experience Luthier of twenty years. I've only seen one other one like this. I don't want to touch it "" Fine, I appreciate that. That will be $65.00 ! Now, Up front ! That should have been a red flag right there as to their business practices. OKAY! How long will it take ? I asked. Without too many other details, here is the short story: He said he would call me back he did not. I called him again.\r He said "" It's done, it will be here tomorrow "" I stopped by the the store. It wasn't there. A different guy was there. He informed me that it was at the other store and that a runner, that afternoon, would drop it off . Okay , will you call me ? "" Yes "" Then, of course, No call came ! What you are surprised ? I wasn't ! The runner forgot it . So I waited till Monday. The I called them. ""Yes, It's here , come get it "" So when I got there and took a look at it, I asked the man if he could tell me exactly what work had been performed on it.? He said "" No , but I'll call the man who worked on it for you. Cool ! Now dig this: The man who worked on it couldn't remember what he did to it. He must be working on so many of these Yamaha SLG 100N's every day that they just all blur together by the end of the day. . When will they ever get it ? Maybe they figure if they can get $65.00, from everybody, ONE TIME EACH , they will be successful. more

We ordered and paid in full, up front for a drum kit for our son?s birthday in August. We ordered them on June 24th and were told they would be here in one week. A week later, we had no drums. They had no tracking number but promised we would get a call back with information. We got no call. I called on July 2nd, only to get an answer that the warehouse was busy with the holiday and the drums would be in no later than Wednesday July 9th. Wednesday, July 9th, we had no drums. Not only have our drums not been delivered, we have yet to receive one phone call from anyone with any type of explanation. I would have been completely ok with them being back ordered had they told us that from the beginning. I will never go back to this place. Their customer service was horrible! No drums, no phone calls? Nothing! I even left a message for the owner! Nothing! \r The best thing to come from this experience is that I have received my money back and will still have time to get the drum kit from a real music store before my son's birthday!\r Cons: Horrible customer service! more

Pats Desert Music is the BEST!!! They have anything a musician might need. George manages a great store and Larry is awesome. He knows everthing about everything. If you need help go to this music store. Really - Go There!!! Pros: Knowledge is King more